In the Central Java city of Yogyakarta, scores of students from the Gajah Mada University held campaigns at a number of different university faculties calling for an election boycott.

The students said they were pessimistic that there were any political parties or legislative candidates that would struggle for cheap education.

In speeches on the campus grounds the students called for the elections to be canceled because there were no guarantees that they would bring prosperity to the ordinary people.

Boycott threats

Threats to boycott the 2009 elections were also raised in a number of other parts of the country. In the West Java regency of Sukabumi, for example, employees from PT Davomas confirmed that they would not take part in the elections.

The reason being that House of Representatives (DPR) members have been unable to resolve the problems they are facing. Yet members of the DPR’s Commission IX who came to meet with them had promised that they would solve their problems.

Depok

In the West Java city of Depok meanwhile, hundreds of residents demonstrated at the Depok city hall because their names were not included in the final voter list. In addition to unfurling banners, they provided evidence that their names were not included on the electoral list.

The residents were protesting at the city hall because lower ranking government officials had failed to include them in the Depok city final voters list. (ADO/Tim Liputan 6 SCTV)

[Translated by James Balowski.]